Wrexham are set to wave goodbye to Paul Mullin as the striker prepares to seal a move to Wigan Athletic.
Wrexham’s rise through the leagues has been remarkable to watch, but each promotion brings difficult decisions.
Rob McElhenney hates seeing Wrexham departures, believing players end up working themselves out of a job.
As Wrexham rise, Phil Parkinson chases new signings to keep the progress going while saying goodbye to fan favourites.
Ben Tozer and Luke Young were prime examples last year, but no departure will quite match that of Paul Mullin.
Mullin has been Wrexham’s goalscoring hero since his arrival in 2021, but his lack of playing time in 2025 suggested the writing was on the wall.
Former Wrexham talent could supply Paul Mullin at Wigan Athletic
Mullin struggled to even make the bench in the final stages of Wrexham’s League One campaign, and his final moment in a Wrexham shirt looks likely to be his saved penalty against Peterborough United.
That moment is not befitting of a hero like Mullin, but Wrexham are ready to move on.
Mullin is close to signing for Wigan Athletic, dropping back into League One in search of first-team football.
Mullin will look to rediscover his goalscoring touch upon joining the Latics, and a former Wrexham man could supply him with ammunition in the final third.
Wide man Jonny Smith emerged in the Wrexham ranks, having first joined the club at the age of just 10.
Smith was likened to Gareth Bale at Wrexham, having shown the talent to cut in from the right flank and cause mayhem on his left foot.
Smith made just three first-team appearances for Wrexham before deciding to leave for Bristol City at the age of 18.
After a flurry of loan spells and a stint with Burton Albion, Smith now finds himself at Wigan Athletic, having joined in 2023.
The 27-year-old bagged three goals and four assists in 36 League One games last season and could now be relied upon to supply Mullin in the final third.
Smith is a natural winger, so he may need to adjust to playing as more of a wing-back under Ryan Lowe, who usually plays a back three.
Smith’s talent in the final third should hand him a role of some kind for the Latics, and he will hope to cause real problems alongside Mullin.
Paul Mullin to Wigan Athletic latest
Mullin’s move to Wigan has not yet been completed, and there may be some details to iron out in the coming days.
The Sun’s Alan Nixon noted that Mullin is ‘working on a pay off’ from Wrexham before finalising his move to Wigan.
Nixon added that all sides are trying to make a deal happen ‘one way or another’, as fans questioned whether the move will be a loan switch or a permanent move.
The Wrexham Insider understands that Mullin’s wages and contract length make a permanent deal tricky, with a loan move still the most likely outcome.
Mullin is under contract until 2027, having signed a new deal back in January 2024, two-and-a-half years after joining from Cambridge United.